Edmontonians Summer2012 by Edmontonians Newsmagazine

Bossy Momma goes national 2010 Sizzler Carol McBee with Madelyn

Plus... Condo Queen Connie Kennedy

Maki Maki’s Ann Chang Volunteer Alberta’s Karen Lynch AWE creates Achievement Award

*Expires September 30, 2012

EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

12851 - 56 Street, Edmonton, AB T5A 0C9

Tel: 780.454.3444 Fax: 780.454.3222

www.edmontonians.com Published by: Cedar Publishing Corporation President Moe Najmeddine moe@edmontonians.com Editor Barb Deters bdeters@edmontonians.com Sales Manager Joe Nashman info@edmontonians.com Columnists Jey Arul • John Berry • Ben Block • Linda Bodo Cheryl Croucher • Marty Forbes • Lynn Fraser Cheryll Gillespie • Kelley Keehn • Bob Layton Norman Leach • Barbara Ashley Phillips Erin Rayner • Sam Shakura • Charles Strachey Ian Wachowicz • Mark Wardell FEATURE WRITERS Barb Deters • Paula Hirman • Jennifer Hughes • Les Wold PHOTOGRAPHERS EalantaPhotography.com • Jack Beker John Berry • Cheryl Croucher • Barb Deters GRAPHIC PRODUCTION Rage Studios Inc. All rights reserved by Cedar Publishing Corporation. Reproduction or transmission of all or any part of this publication by any means whatsoever is strictly forbidden without prior written permission from the publisher. Although great care is taken to avoid errors in the preparation of advertising material and editorial content, any errors or omissions on the part of Cedar Publishing Corporation are limited and dealt with solely by printing a retraction statement and or correction in the following issue. Edmontonians Newsmagazine is a product of Cedar Publishing Corporation.

in this issue...

Volume XXIII Number 2 Summer 2012

About Town VoxPop

Marty Forbes is proud of “Bridging the Gap” project................................................................ 4 Bob Layton focuses on two successful businesswomen........................................................... 6

Sizzling in the City

Erin Rayner holds her own with the Bossy Momma.............................................................. 14

Business

Business Briefs

Norman Leach features the EEDC luncheon and AGM............................................................ 32

Legally Speaking

Ian Wachowicz on suing for injuries while holidaying............................................................ 29

Mergers & Acquisitions

Jey Arul gives tips on when to sell....................................................................................... 28

Professional Development

Mark Wardell discusses Social Media platforms................................................................... 27

Prosperity Plus

Kelley Keehn on the need for improving credit scores........................................................... 12

WorkingWise

Charles Strachey answers a new grad’s question.................................................................. 13

You & The Law

Ben Block on Social Media defamation suits......................................................................... 11

Features Social Scene

Sticking it to Alzheimer’s… Have a Heart for Mental Health................................................... 20

Then& Now

Belgravia Community.......................................................................................................... 34

Women in Business

Karen Lynch/Volunteer Alberta............................................................................................. 16 Connie Kennedy.................................................................................................................. 17 AWE................................................................................................................................... 18 Ann Chang......................................................................................................................... 19

Lively Lifestyles Absolute Bodo

Linda Bodo upcycles found garden items................................................................................ 7

MenuMagic

Chef John Berry meets Massimo Capra, visits Delish.................................................................... 8

Creative Interiors

Cheryl & Sam revel in vintages finds.................................................................................... 24

Home Envision

Elissa Scott wants to see more vibrant colours..................................................................... 23

Life Balance

Lynn Fraser “steps off the wheel”........................................................................................ 30

Walking the Talk

Canadian Publication Mail Agreement # 40041145 If undeliverable, please return to:

Cedar Publishing Corporation 12851 - 56 Street Edmonton, AB T5A 0C9

www.cedarpublishing.com EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

Barbara Ashley Phillips loves conflict................................................................................... 22

Opinions Civil Wars

Nejolla Korris breaches airport security................................................................................ 10

Street Commerce

Certified Coaches Federation/Abe Brown.............................................................................. 38 Investors Group/Lynne Jones.............................................................................................. 26

Visionaries

Cheryl Croucher looks at the latest innovations................................................................ 36

...With Marty Forbes & Bob Layton

Marty Forbes

ast year my company,

knowledge of all things wireless and digital is Marketing’s Jared Smith; financial wizard immense to the business leaders struggling to from Edward Jones’ Carey Williams – to Radiowise Inc., teamed up with keep up to technology. name just a few – for a 90-minute, closed door, Dr. Bob Westbury of the Telus years ago, who would have thought that open air discussion. Community Foundation and 12851 - 56Two Street, Blockbuster and Rogers Video stores would The mature group shared their experiences Dean Heuman of Focuscom, and Edmonton, AB be T5A 0C9to give way to on-line delivered shuttered in business including both successes and debuted a project called “Bridging the Gap.” Netflix? Who’d have thought you could watch failures; the youth group talkedTel: about (780) the The intent of the program was to get two 701-3715 your home television being rerouted to your changing expectations of the work force. I can distinct groups together—a mature group of Fax: (780) 454-3222 iPad tablet while you`re over in Europe? Who Ohighly F Bsuccessful U S I N Ebusiness S S Ipeople N T from H E theCCity A P I Tvery A Lpositively R E G Isay Othat N there wasn’t a gap in wants to work a boring 9-to-5 job at a crowded the conversation as both sides provided the of Edmonton, and a youth group of bright upoffice downtown where parking rates are other side with much to think about as we did and-comers—with the ultimate goal of sharing obscene when they could work from a home indeed ‘Bridge the Gap.’ knowledge at both ends of the spectrum. We’re now working on the next phase of this office… usually at a creative time anywhere in The mature group would provide the the 24-hour clock? project for the fall and hope to involve many wisdom to the youth group which, in turn, Edmonton is a hot bed of Next Gen activity others in the event. would provide valuable insight as to what is with several companies that started the same changing in the digital age… thus the benefit toDate:I`m very proud of this project because way as Steve Jobs—in a basement or a Edmonton is going through the same both talk and listen was fully set. Please note: Todemographic Appear in:changes as most other Canadian garage—and they are now enjoying great Youth to me is anybody under 40. success in the software or tech industry. cities and there’s a whole new reality in doing We engaged people like the Edmonton Yardstick Technologies ranks high on the Oilers President Pat LaForge; the Edmonton business with this reality. best Alberta businessess list every year; Peter Business leaders are aging—and stepping Journal’s Editor Lucinda Chowden; Rachmistruk started a very smart new deals aside from key businesses (and public service Moxies-Ruth’s Chris Group owner Brendon site that generates funds for non-profits called support)—and technology is helping rewrite Connelly; the United Way’s Anne Smith; GenerUs. There are several boutique agencies familiar rules of business in a very dynamic the Edmonton Public School Board in our city run by sharp people like White way. Foundaton’s Sandra Woitas – with Next Box Communications’ Juliana Veldtman The mature group provides great insight Gen’s leader Mack Male; Corus Radio’s who often figure out innovative ways to use social media expert Brittany LeBlanc, Insight to the youth group while the youth group’s Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for business purposes; and these people are

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on hand to help you out. Fees are tremendously affordable, and the knowledge you pick up at one (or more) of these sessions could make the difference between success and failure. So don’t be shy… check it all out: startupedmonton.com, and follow them on Twitter or become a Fan on Facebook.

70,000-square foot multi-tenant, non-profit centre and volunteer workshop. The mission is to provide healthy, affordable and vibrant work spaces for non-profit organizations in our city. You can also donate on-line at jerryforbescentre.ca—and, yes, it is named after Dad, who launched Santas Anonymous in the mid-1950s. The next is the new CKUA building downtown. After about 100 years, the station is moving into the new Alberta Hotel downtown on Jasper Avenue in a state of the art showcase building. This will put CKUA in the centre of the action, near all the downtown festivals (Jazz – Folk, Civic, 12851 - 56Winspear, Street,etc). The new building will be built as a store front, set up so your favourite 0C9 the Edmonton, AB T5A bands can plug and play live when they come monton in house d E p u rt re Tel: (780) 701-3715 Sta visit. Every dollar helps move us forward so ercer Wa that the station can continue to provide world historic M not afraid of hard work nor of the ‘big guys’ Fax: (780) 454-3222 class music to us all. O as F they B Ufigure S I NoutE novel S S ways I N toT make H E their C A P I TA L R E G I O N For any assistance on either most worthy businesses a success. cause, my personal “thank you”. √ If you search through Edmontonians’ Sizzler

Next Gen Business is being done from the home office.

VERTISING PROOF lists for the past few years, you`ll also find many of these bright lights involved in the digital business. It’s important to also note a most unique Date: new service recently opened in the historic Mercer Warehouse downtown, called StartupTo Appear in: Edmonton where you’ll find many of these Projects I’m Sizzlers in action. working on: If I run Ken Bautista is the visionary behind this into you over the next great idea so if you’re a young entrepreneur, few months, I’ve likely student or just looking at launching a start-up, got a hand out to you this place is for you. asking for assistance Startup Edmonton was funded and launched on two tremendous by the Next Gen people in town (the same projects. The first group I mentioned earlier) who are making Edmonton a cornerstone for digital innovation. one is the Jerry Forbes Centre for There are evening courses, day long Community Spirit, a workshops, and successful guides ready and

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Marty Forbes is president of Radiowise Inc. Contact: marty@edmontonians.com – and on Twitter: mjforbes

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Bob Layton

Continued with Bob Layton

t was a shock, about 30 years

as the director of new business, grew it from a few staff to over 20 and hundreds of clients in ago when Jerry Forbes called the 630 10 years. CHED news room staff together for a Today, Ronda is one of four partners—all special announcement. He had decided women—with zag creative group, we were going to hire a woman to work known for highly successful marketing in the newsroom. There was an strategies. awkward silence. We As a woman in business, one the had never worked with greatest challenges Ronda faces is a woman before. There that ever-elusive work/life balance. were some questions There is work and then there is a that might have been husband (also an entrepreneur) and acceptable back then, children. Still, she manages. With but are far too sexist to be the children now young adults, printed here. It was about she finds time to give back to the same time we were the community, serving on the hearing about the reluctance boards of Kids of banks to help women delec Up Front e start their own businesses. N a d n o R and Ronald But, as they say, that was McDonald then and this is now. Let me House. Ronda introduce you to a couple of Edmonton women and her also in business. team worked Ronda Nedelec, born in Edmonton, with the founders started her first entrepreneurial venture in of the Jerry the construction industry at the age of 23. Forbes Centre She grew the business to over $1 million in for Community the first year. From there she moved on to Bonnie Pow ers Spirit to establish help manage and operate an award winning a unique visual outdoor billboard company. Then she found identity. herself with a young advertising agency and,

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Bonnie Powers was so excited when she received her Certified Management Accounting designation. Working her way up the corporate ladder, she held positions ranging from VP of Finance to CFO with various organizations. Tired of the extremely long hours, she decided to venture out on her own a couple of years ago. Bonnie quit her job and the real work began with a franchise offering accounting, payroll and tax services for small businesses. Problem: She had no clue how to market Padgett Business Services. How would anyone find her and want to use her business services? Cold calling and mail outs weren’t working. In the first year, her savings were dwindling. In the second year, she hired her daughter part-time to help market but, says Bonnie, “with her lack of marketing expertise, it was like the blind leading the lost”. Then, Bonnie made the right connections and things started to move. So far this year, sales at Padgett are up 214 percent over last year. With a future this bright, she may have to wear shades. √ Bob Layton is the News Director for Edmonton Corus radio stations 630 CHED, iNews880, CISN Country, and JOE FM. His awardwinning editorials can be heard on 630 CHED at 8:12 a.m. and 5:12 p.m. and seen on Global TV at 6:40 p.m.

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EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

ABSOLUTEBODO with Linda Bodo

dding more green to your outdoor space is a creative means of putting ‘eco’ heart and soul into your garden while cutting down on landfill waste stream materials. Enhancing and organizing your outdoor living space and garden doesn’t have to cost a fortune or take forever. You can upcycle objects from repurposed items that have outlived their usefulness and fashion unique works that add whimsy and personality to all areas of al fresco living. Spend a couple of hours rummaging through the far corners of your shed, garage or basement for castoffs that have been relegated to a sentence of dust collecting and give them a new lease on life.

Green Piece:

RAKING IT IN Craft an obelisk or a primitive planter with worn tools such as rakes, hoes, and pitchforks. The towers are perfect for edible climbers or ornamental vines and add a sculptural element during the winter months.

cultivating the upcycled garden REPURPHOSED

Add a comfortable grip to bucket handles with a slit section of garden hose.

Don’t feel you must spend scads of money to get a delicious, artistic effect. Rescued materials artfully placed will change the landscape of your garden such as these pitchforks revamped into portable nest rests and planters.

Thread rope or wire through a portion of garden hose to straighten or stabilize trees without damaging the trunk. Repurpose a galvanized bucket into a multipurpose hose caddy with convenient storage. Combine colourful electrical cable ties with spent garden hoses to create beefy baskets for toting tools.

CONTAINER GARDENING Play double duty with potted planters into umbrella stands. Before planting, insert a PVC sleeve into planter the same height as the planter and stabilize bottom 1/3 with stones and sand. Fill with potting soil and plant as desired. Slide umbrella base into planter and enjoy the shade. Create a scoop from a 1 litre plastic jug to empty soil bags. Once emptied, repurpose the bag into a colourful planter. Short on space? Revamp a shoe organizer or eaves troughs into vertical gardens and place in a sunny location for maximum yields.

Remove top 1/3 of a 2 litre plastic bottle and place over tender seedlings in the event of an overnight frost. EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

Create rake racks to organize your outdoor bar or garden shed. Suspend on a wall and insert wine glasses or garden tools.

OVER THE SPOON Hammer mismatched spoons flat and dip in chalk paint to create clever plant markers. Played by gusts of air, this instrument is the perfect hanging garden accessory. The wind chime is crafted from an antique watering can and mismatched silverware, melding music and flowers in a delightful symphony Craft a squirrel-proof bird feeder from ventilation block ends and a large ladle. The extended roof will shelter diners from rain or shine. Be sure to place the feeder in a tree where branches offer a safe haven from predators. In an era of social consciousness, sustainable living has become the latest designer trend. The concept has caught on with eco-logical artisans, or upcyclers, who create iconic pieces from waste stream materials. These objects articulate a poignant message of today’s consumerism while inspiring creative methods to reduce our carbon footprint. Blur the line between art and craft with recycle-based designs through The Art of Upcycling with Linda Bodo. www.absolutebodo.com

MENUMAGIC

Chef Massimo Capra with Chef John Berry

with chef John Berry

Blissimo!

from, but how it’s grown. If you start off your career wanting to 12851 be on TV,- 56comes ou know him as the Street, How was he received by the students at you’d better go to acting school! jovial, big moustached, robust 0C9 NAIT? According to program head Vinod “Cooking is the end result Edmonton, of a lot of work AB T5A chef on Food TV’s Restaurant Varshney, not only were they absorbing his from a lot of people. From theTel: farmer(780) and the 701-3715 Makeover. Slap a white fire technique and style, but they were lapping up his fishermen to the suppliers. Our job is easy. All helmet on him, and you’d Fax: (780) 454-3222 life story as well. we have to do is transform the raw product into swear he’s a Norman Rockwell Fire Chief, O F B U S I N E S S I N T H E C A P I TA L R E G I O N And you can tell that the Master Chef left a a cooked product. But you have to have passion. not an internationally acclaimed chef. I met Without passion to carry you forward, you won’t bit of himself in the NAIT Food labs as well. this incredibly talented maestro of the kitchen Blissimo! √ go far. It’s even the same with wait staff.” at NAIT as he was installed as this year’s Chef Massimo is very excited by the calibre Hokanson Chef in Residence. of NAIT’s culinary students. He is Massimo Capra, the chef and coMassimo Capra with “I think they have the gist of it. They’re very owner of Toronto’s Mistura Restaurant and NAIT’s culinary students Date: impressive. Sopra Upper Lounge. The award-winning author As for the future, he is optimistic. is on a mission—not to promise fancy TV deals To Appear in: an awakening in North America. “I’m finding after the young students graduate, but to pepper People are rediscovering food and where it them with reality. comes from. They’re foraging… things that go Forget the big salaries, forget the limelight back to our grandparents’ time.” and becoming a star. That comes after you’ve In his native homeland, Italy, in the 1970s, paid your dues in the industry and made a name for yourself through dedication, hard work and a they began taking people back to the farms to discover where their food came from and how it lot of blood, sweat and tears. was grown. That’s being done in Toronto today. “This is a profession. You have to feel it in “Everyone is getting on the same page, even your own core. This is not a way to Hollywood.” the supermarkets which are offering organically He keeps his students grounded and makes no grown produce and meats.” Consumers, he says, bones about it, using himself as an example. are very interested in not only where their food “I’m a cook—not a chef—first and foremost.

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absolutely

Delish’s Brandy Clement & Lisa Rizzi-MacLeod display thier wares

Delish -ious W

ho would think that

One of the most popular in Edmonton is This is their first year of operation and Delish, located on 107A Avenue at 95th Street, they’ve made everything from cakes shaped like cupcakes, that lowly at the gateway to Little Italy, and owned and cars, guitars, bibles, cakes made out of cupcakes delicious morsel of the operated by Lisa Rizzi MacLeod. This with fondant icing on top. If you cake world, would make cupcake palace have an idea, they can usually such a comeback in the turns out such make it—just like Cake Boss on new millennium and keep on going. This meltdelicacies as The Food Network. in-your-mouth treat first saw daylight in 1796, Banana Cream, Red In a regular weekend, Delish when someone got the notion to make a cake in Velvet, Chocolate goes through a thousand or a small cup—literally, a ceramic cup. Today, of more cupcakes, 30 cakes and course, we use disposable paper cups in a muffin Tiramiseau, Rocky T H E P E Road RSO A L I T Y O F B U S I N E S S I N T H E CupAtoPaIdozen T A Lwedding R E Gcakes. ION andNChocolate tin. Cheesecake along “It doesn’t feel like a year’s The original recipe called for half a pound with the usual gone by. There have been a of sugar and half a pound of butter rubbed into lot of tears, hard work and two pounds of flour, one glass of wine, one glass chocolate and vanilla cupcakes. There are extremely long hours. Each of rosewater, two glasses of Emptins, nutmeg, gluten free cupcakes day that passes, I’m step cinnamon and currants. and full-sized cakes closer to realizing my dream In 1871, this was refined to: half a Attention: cup of Date: as well. And this ‘It’… and I’m constantly butter and four cups of sugar creamed together, is one area Delish evolving.” To Appear in: five well beaten eggs, one teaspoon ofFax: baking excels in: wedding As for the future, Lisa is soda dissolved into one cup of cream or milk, Date ofPurchased: cakes and, well, cakes looking to open a second six cups of flour, nutmeg, and one teaspoon akes for all occasions. location… and don’t be m dry cream of tartar. od Le ac -M zi Lisa Riz t My favourites are surprised if you see a ec You can thank modern day TV for the rebirth rf pe ure everything pict the children’s cakes, Delish cupcake truck at a of the cupcakes popularity. An episode of Sex in particular one curb near you soon. √ in the City featured a cupcake shop and its that looks like the wares and the boom was on. Since then their Disney castle. Wow! The youngsters must go Chef John runs his own in-home catering popularity remains at a good level but, as in nuts when they see the creations of Lisa and company, John Berry’s Celebrity Kitchen other cities, numerous shops have disappeared Brandy Clement, her right hand girl. They are Catering. He can be reached at and only a handful remain. But business is still truly a work of art. chefjohnb@shaw.ca or 780.473.3339. booming.

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CIVILWARS

The Last Flight Home

just completed a long speaking

My plastic toiletries bag was approximately 2 cm bigger than the required standard. What else could I do but thank him for pointing this out to me? Solemnly, he calls over his supervisor, points out my infraction and then hands it off to a young lady at the end of the line. She gives me a sympathetic look and starts repacking my stuff into a ‘regulation’ bag. It becomes very apparent that she has done this before and she is determined to get every single thing in my bag into the regulation one, stuffing and cramming it to make it work. I told her it was alright for her to take one of the small shampoos and throw it out so that it would look like my crime was dealt with appropriately. I walked away amused but shaking my head at the same time. When did we start majoring in the minors to this extent? Was this interchange really about a plastic bag being 2 cm too big? Or, was it inherent of another set of issues we deal with as Canadians? We simply don’t have enough to complain about so we make things up. I’m not the first to say it, but it all seems farcical especially when coming home from place like Uganda. Is your driveway old and cracked? aPoverty abounds, you can’t drink the water and Rubber Paving is the Solution. life, for some, appears bleak. Yet, there is an inherent happiness It gets rid of unsightly cracks in within the people. asphalt or concrete and provides They say hello when an attractive and durable slip you pass by, they don’t

junket that included four countries in SE Asia, the United States, and Uganda. I know many of us complain about some of the security measures we go through today but they are what they are and don’t really irritate me—shoes off, belt off, toiletries out, computer out. The thing that does, however, are the power mongers and bullies who think they are there to be super zealots at their “high security” jobs. On April 24th, after two long flights from Entebbe, Uganda to Amsterdam, I finally arrived at Calgary International—just one leg left and I would be able to sleep in my own bed again. Having gone through the routine customs check, I had to go through another security check point at the D gates. So out comes the computer, the travel toiletries, shoes off and bags through the scanner. A short, bald, awkward fellow immediately intercepts my toiletries and announces that I am “breaking federal regulations”. Seriously? Pay attention now because you are interacting with Federal Criminal Nejolla Korris! The charge?

resistant surface.

with Nejolla Korris

complain about their life, all conversations convey hope for the future. They don’t go on about what Joseph Kony did years ago... they say the violence has stopped… the rebel force is contained… and someday he will be caught. They find it perplexing that we are only finding interest in the “cult of Kony” today. Why didn’t we interfere when it was going on? Time came to board Westjet flight 255 from Calgary to Edmonton and I was greeted by the flight attendant Sue. The first thing out of her mouth was that my second carry on was too big. I said I had traveled with these bags all the way from Africa and it had not been a problem on the other flights. She told me she “didn’t care” and that I was breaking Westjet’s rules. I asked her if she wanted me to return to the gate to check it. She said “no” but I had better be aware for next time. If that was the case, then why bring it up at all? At that point, I had nothing left to say. I just gave her a blank stare because all this pettiness really doesn’t matter…. √ Nejolla Korris is an international expert in area of interviewing skills and linguistic lie detection. She is a keen observer and fan of the human condition. Dubbed the “Human Lie Detector” by some clients, she is a popular speaker on lie detection, fraud prevention and investigation, workplace fraud, and organizational justice. Nejolla recently launched a new speaker’s series on the differing communication styles between men and women. Contact: nkorris@working-it-out.com

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EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

YOU&THELAW

with Ben Block

Q: A:

Social Media defamation

What do I do if someone has posted defamatory remarks about me online?

discredited you, damaged your reputation, exposed you to ridicule, etc.; • That the statement referred to you specifically; • The statement was published, meaning it was communicated to someone other than yourself; and • You have suffered damage as a result of the statement. However, in the case of a written remark, this will be presumed.

involves issues such as identification of the potential defendant, jurisdiction over outof-province websites, and various practical and procedural issues. If you feel you have been defamed online, consult a lawyer for a complete assessment of your options. √

With the explosion of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and Correction Notice: so on, our online identities Due to an administrative error, an incorrect are becoming a significant reference to legislation was published in the part of our personal and professional Spring 2012 issue. The response to “Is my lives. Although these sites can be great will from another province valid in Alberta?” Your claim will then be subject to various sources of entertainment, socialization and referred to the past Alberta Wills Act, however defences such as truth, or that the statement P Ea R“fair SO N A L I (it T YwasO F Bin U SINES S I have N Treferred H E Cto A I T AWills L R EGION communication, when comments, photos T H E was should thePnew and comment” made good and videos become insulting, derogatory Succession Act which came into force on faith, honestly, on a matter of public interest). or abusive, legal issues may arise. This February 1, 2012. Unfortunately, at the time The reality of bringing a defamation claim can be particularly true when your clients, my original response was written, the new law will force you to evaluate the costs of time employees, employer(s) or other contacts had not yet come into force and the updated and money involved against the need to have might come across these postings simply by response was not published. I apologize for the comment removed or to recover financial ”Googling” your name. any confusion, but the content of the new damages. Consider questions such as “Will Attention: Date: So, what do you do if someone has posted Wills and Succession Act has not changed the your target resist your claim?” and “If you defamatory remarks online? Often your first feel freein: Fax: are successful, do they have assets to satisfy a substance of the response. Please To Appear step is possibly the most obvious: Report it. to contact me if you have any questions and judgment against them?” Given the volume of users and the natureDate Purchased: thank you for your understanding. When considering their chances of of their service, sites like Facebook cannot recovery, people often wonder if they can police every comment, so they rely on users instead sue the website on which the comment to report issues. If and when you come across was posted. Generally speaking, the website something offensive, bring it to the site’s Ben Block is an associate with Hillenbrand provides a forum, and is not responsible for attention using the reporting function or Kozicki LLP, and focuses his practice on civil the content of the postings. However, where removal request. Such valid requests should litigation, real estate and business law. Ben the site has refused or failed to comply with a be honoured promptly and the offending was an Edmontonians Sizzler in 2007. Call removal request, the argument might be made content removed. 780.809.2389 or email bblock@hklaw.ca. that they have adopted the statement(s) as If the site fails to remove the content, your their own. If successful, legal options become more complicated. If this argument could you are aware of the identity of the party expose the site to posting the defamatory content, you can make liability and is likely a written demand offline for removal and the reason reporting and Axiom Mortgage Solutions consider commencing a claim against them if removal functions are SEARCHING FOR THE BEST MORTGAGE they fail to comply. To be successful, you will included in reputable have to prove: sites. RATE CAN BE A CHALLENGING GAME • That the posting was defamatory in This area of law is Today’s morTgage markeT really is a fasT paced game nature, meaning that the statement still developing and wiTh many consideraTions. UndersTanding how To opTimize

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EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

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“Serving Frog Lake First Nation”

Miyo Pahksamowin Frog Lake

Volume 5 Edition 1

PROSPERITYPLUS

with Kelley Keehn

Five Steps to a

Better Credit Score

n today’s nearly cashless

society, I fear that the upcoming societal outcasts (financially speaking) will be those with poor credit. Today, one can’t travel, rent a car, secure concert tickets in advance, or even park in some underground garages without a credit card (and many times it needs to be a “major” one— usually the bank-issued VISA or MasterCard). The signs are everywhere too; retailers telling us that they don’t accept $100 or $50 bills. Thus, having a strong score or improving it now is paramount. Keep in mind that your credit score is fluid and changes monthly for better or worse. If your score is great, you want to keep it that way. And, if it’s less than spectacular, you can improve it. If you’ve never checked your credit report or score before, take a deep breath, but do it today. You’re not alone though; most Canadians haven’t checked their score ever or recently either. In Canada, you can request a free credit report as often as you’d like. That’s a great start to ensure everything is in order on it, however, it won’t give you your magic (propriety) FICO score. To get that, unfortunately, you’ll have to pay for it and order it online. With Equifax, for example, to get your full report and score, it will cost you around $24. There are two main reporting agencies in Canada—www.equifax.ca and www.transunion.ca—and it doesn’t affect your score to check it yourself.

Here are five relatively easy steps to keep your score strong or strengthen it: Step one: Pay your minimum payment on time, every time. Sounds simple, but I see so many individuals pay their credit card minimum payment each month, but maybe just a day or two late here and there. Each time you’re late, it brings your score down. And remember, if you’re paying online, ensure to allow at least three business days for your payment to arrive if your credit card isn’t with your bank… if it is, you can usually transfer the funds the same day.

Step four: Pay more than the minimum requested. Even though your credit card company only requests a certain amount, paying even a few dollars more will get you out of debt sooner. Especially with some cards charging 20-29 percent, that interest adds up.

Step two: Keep your balances low. The credit reporting agencies see a maxed out card as a big red flag and that drags your score down. If you are close to the max, you might need some help. Talk to your banker about a consolidation loan or for more serious trouble, visit www. creditcounsellingcanada.com for help.

Step five: Don’t seek new credit. If you don’t need it, don’t apply for it. Each time you apply for credit, it’s registered on your credit bureau and if you apply for too much at once (think new cell phone plan, new computer lease and a car loan) is a big red flag. If you need several products or service on credit, say when moving, do your best to space applications out over six or 12 months. That’s a start to improving and maintaining a great credit score. For more ideas or to fully understand your score and how to improve or maintain it, visit my blog at www. kelleykeehn.blogspot.com. √

Step three: Never go over limit. If you’re nearly maxed out, remember to factor in your interest charge each month along with pre-authorized payments such as a gym membership. Some credit cards might allow you to go over limit by say $5 or $10, but charge a hefty $29 over-limit fee. If this sounds like your situation, call your credit card company and request that they don’t allow your account to go over limit. Not only can it be extremely costly, it hurts your score each month.

Kelley Keehn is a financial expert, speaker and author of seven books, including The Money Book for Everyone Else, She Inc. and The Prosperity Factor for Kids. She is a regular guest on the Marilyn Denis Show, a frequent contributor to the Global and Mail, and has been quoted in Oprah’s O Magazine. For more information, visit www.kelleykeehn.com

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EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

Tips for with Charles Strachey

WORKINGWISE

New Grads Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/meshaphoto

ear Working Wise: I am about to graduate with a diploma in business administration, but I’m worried about finding a job. Do you have any tips to help me land my first job? ~ Eager Graduate

Dear Eager:

candidate for the job. Want an expert opinion on your resumé? Use the free ALIS e-Resumé review service at http://alis.alberta.ca.

ATTEND JOB FAIRS

Did you know that there are job fairs happening all year long around the province? Check out upcoming job fairs near you at http:// employment.alberta.ca/jobfairs.

Congratulations on completing your program. Alberta is full of opportunity right now with the second-lowest unemployment rate in the country. Here are some tips to help you tap into the opportunities and put your education to good use.

LIKE YOUR LOCAL FACEBOOK JOBS PAGE

USE YOUR SCHOOL

NETWORK

Ask the chair of your program for advice and suggestions about where to look for jobs. Put your school’s career services office to work for you. These offices usually provide help with resumés and job searches. Employers interested in hiring new graduates often post jobs on their job boards.

POLISH YOUR RESUMÉ

Is your resumé representing you as well as it should? Recruiters spend as little as 30 seconds glancing at your resumé—does yours scream “I’m perfect for this job”? Check out the resumé tips on the Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS) website at http://bit.ly/ISpj0B. Always include a cover letter with your resumé and use it to quickly explain why you are the perfect

Get job opportunities and news of upcoming job fairs sent straight to your Facebook news feed by liking your local Alberta Works Facebook jobs page http://bit.ly/IGmZK4. Fewer than half of all jobs are advertised. Let your network of friends, family and teachers along with your former employers know that you are looking for a job. Networking is a great way to tap into the hidden job market. Send everyone you know an email letting them know what kind of job you’re looking for along with a quick summary of your skills, training and experience or a link to your Linked-In profile. And don’t forget to update, clean up, and use your social networking sites.

EXPAND YOUR JOB SEARCH

Some grads make the mistake of limiting their job search to a specific occupation, industry or organization type. Take inventory of your transferable skills—like organizational,

computer and time-management skills—and consider opportunities in related occupations and industries. Don’t forget to check out small businesses and not-for-profit organizations.

Agencies will not look for a job for you, but they will call you if you are a good match for a position they are recruiting for. Registering with recruitment agencies is free, takes very little time, and is another great way to tap into the hidden job market. You can start by checking out http://alis.alberta.ca/js/ws/jp/jobpostings/ea.html.

USE ALIS FINDING WORK

Visit the Finding Work page on the ALIS web site at http://alis.alberta.ca/worksearch/findingwork.html for ideas on how to meet employers, use news stories to identify potential jobs, and use job-search websites to find opportunities.

VISIT AN ALBERTA WORKS CENTRE

Visit your nearest Alberta Works Centre http:// employment.alberta.ca/offices and ask a Career & Employment Consultant for advice on your job search. Good luck! √ Do you have a work-related question? Send your questions to Working Wise, at charles.strachey@ gov.ab.ca. Charles Strachey is a manager with Alberta Human Services. This column is provided for general information.

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Bossy UPDATE

arol McBee is one Bossy

Momma. Well, maybe not bossy, unless you ask her husband Daniel. But she certainly is a well-connected momma. Carol is a Sizzling Twenty Under 30 alumnus whose entrepreneurial adventures include the modern mom groups, Bossy Momma and Mommy Connections. In 2010 when she was named a Sizzler, Carol had owned these two businesses for just over a year and a half. But these were not her first ventures into the realm of entrepreneurship. Her career had a number of stops before the business of motherhood. For a time she was corporate programs THE PERSONALITY manager for Cold FX. She also was the owner of Canadian Houses, a business that supported realtors by offering video and photo tours of listed properties to potential buyers. But, after having her daughter Madelyn, she knew motherhood was her priority. She chose not to return to Cold FX and Attention: sold Canadian Houses to her younger brother in Fax: 2010. For Carol, even though she was sure being Date Purchased: a mother was her top priority, she still saw herself as a businesswoman. After she gave birth to her daughter, friends told her to sign up for a post-natal program offered by Capital Health called New Mom’s Network. “I called every day to get into the program” and her persistence paid off. “The program was ok, I met some great women but it wasn’t what I’d expected,” says Carol of her experience in the program. However, after recommending the program to friends, Carol found out that the program was cancelled. When H1N1 surfaced and the nurses and community

with Erin Rayner

spaces were needed for large-scale vaccination programs. While others may have seen the program’s cancellation as unfortunate and carried on with their lives, in true entrepreneurial fashion, Carol saw this as an opportunity. While she knew she wanted to spend as much time as possible with Madelyn, she needed something else to focus on as well. After polling her fellow new moms from the Capital health services program for their thoughts on what worked and what could be improved, she launched Mommy Connections. Mommy Connections is a six to B U S I N E S S I N T eight-week H E C Apost-natal P I T A L program R E G that ION has an interactive touch. The weekly sessions offer moms the chance to meet each other and experience hands-on topics such as baby massage, post-natal fitness, nutrition, infant safety and more. That wasDate: then, this is now. At the time of her Sizzling ToMommy Appear in: nomination Connections had programs running in seven Alberta locations. “The first three or four programs, we kind of muddled through. I did the website and the registration—I did a lot of the work. Eventually, we moved to the model we have now.” The business has grown through a licensing model that sees licensees purchase the rights annually to promote and offer the programs in their communities. “They (the licensees) run it entirely on their own. They get their own micro site on a wordpress blogging platform. So everything is night and day different (from when I did it all on my own).”

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It takes some entrepreneurs years to get themselves out of the way enough to see this kind of growth, but not Carol: Within seven months, she’d contacted a business lawyer who specialized in licensing business models and committed to the new model. Now Mommy Connections has 30 locations across Canada and the United States, and Carol has a goal for 100 locations in Canada in the next three years. At the same time as Mommy Connections was growing so was Bossy Momma, a group that was originally tailored to moms who were entrepreneurial. ‘Mompreneur’ was a new term when Carol started her businesses. “I heard the word mompreneur… and I thought, oh gosh, that’s what I am. I’m a mom, I’m an entrepreneur… I’m a mompreneur. But, the more I used that term and saw it in the media, I think it’s become really derogatory. I think a lot of people, when they read that term, they think that a woman is sitting at her dining room table while her children nap, making hair clippies… and that’s simply not the case. Small business is what is for sure going to pull any of our economies out of recession and a lot of women are behind all those businesses.” And Bossy Momma is the mastermind group she created to connect those entrepreneurs. Bossy Momma began as a networking group for entrepreneurial women Carol met through Mommy Connections. “I was sick and tired of having that glazed look (at networking events), and I’m sure there were a lot of other women who were in the same

EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

boat as me.” The directors who purchased licenses for Mommy Connections were all entrepreneurs, some with considerable experience in corporate Canada. “It’s not like they don’t know what they’re doing. These are really savvy businesswomen and they struggled with the same thing as well, and they belonged to other small networking group like ours.” Since its inception, Bossy Momma, like many businesses, has evolved and now the name no longer clearly defines the group. It offers networking events not only for moms, but all entrepreneurial women, some of whom happen to be mothers. Men are also allowed and encouraged to join although some might be turned off by the name. With all this on the go, I wondered how in the world she avoids total exhaustion. “It’s pretty hard. Anyone who knows me knows I work crazy hours. I work generally 4:30 am until 9:30 in the morning when my daughter wakes up. I work every afternoon when she sleeps. I don’t often work at night.” But last December, Carol’s husband got a new job… and she suffered a miscarriage. These two events together made her reevaluate her priorities. “I really thought about things and, while I know as a business owner, when things are good, you need to keep working. I think that I was putting all this pressure on myself. In less than three years, we’ve had 30 locations and are Canada’s largest pre/post-natal and toddler program. In the whole country, there is no one bigger than we are. That’s really amazing,”

says Carol. “I was thinking if I could do this in three years imagine what I could do in three more years if I keep at this pace. But when all this happened I took a step back and said ‘I don’t need to work this hard anymore’.” For Carol ‘not working this hard’ means still working nearly every morning but since January she’s been taking Monday, Friday and Saturdays ‘mostly off’. Many entrepreneurs would wonder, what does this kind of shift in effort do to your business? “I have to realize that things don’t have to come as fast as they have in the last three years. I’ve got lots of time.” Considering she just celebrated her thirtieth birthday, I’d say she’s right…but we’ll leave that up to the Bossy Momma to decide. √ Erin Rayner is president of ED Marketing and Communications Inc. Contact erayner@edmontonians.com

VOLUNTEERALBERTA

from driving truck to driving force… f there’s one thing Karen

Lynch would tell you about Alberta’s non-profit/voluntary sector it’s this: It’s not all apple pie and motherhood. She would know. She’s been Volunteer Alberta’s Executive Director for nearly eight years and the organizational growth trajectory has increased exponentially. From 0.4 staff when she was hired in late 2004, today Karen works with 19 staff, 10 student interns, several skilled volunteers, and a committed Board, serving the over 20,000 non-profit/voluntary sector organizations in Alberta. Through innovative programs—like the Serving Communities Internship Program (SCiP) and KnowledgeConnector— Volunteer Alberta focuses on breaking down barriers to volunteerism in Alberta. How did she develop Volunteer Alberta to the level it is today? Much of Karen’s success can be attributed to how she tackles issues and challenges with a pragmatic and common-sense approach honed by 30 plus years of diverse experience working with businesses, all levels of government, non-profits and charitable organizations. The organizational growth can also be attributed to her reputation as a consensus builder, organizational wizard and decisive leader when tough decisions have to be made. Karen put herself through university by driving trucks in Fort McMurray… then was asked to be the executive assistant to the Speaker in the Alberta Legislature. After supporting her former husband’s career as a Member of Parliament and raising twins, she re-entered the workforce and created partnerships to support programming as the Director of Communications with Alberta

College. She subsequently re-developed a Corporate Ethics Program with the Workers’ Compensation Board. Karen’s passion for volunteerism has helped organizations ranging from libraries to ballet to the political sphere, where she has run successful election campaigns. She co-managed a local 2004 federal election campaign. She wore the candidate hat during the 2004 Edmonton municipal Karen Lynch campaign, losing by just over a thousand votes to two former MLAs. This did not deter her from getting involved in politics and, in 2008, she successfully ran a provincial election campaign bringing a rookie politician to the Legislature. Most recently, she supported Alison Redford’s leadership bid. Karen then took a leave of absence from her role as Executive Director to run the leader’s tour in the provincial election, coordinating the premier’s participation in 216 unique events and 53 media interviews in 28 days. Often organizations’ limited resources ensure they are too busy focusing on service delivery to take the time to look at sector trends or act strategically. This is one area where Karen and Volunteer Alberta demonstrate leadership. Take, for example, the recent sector report, the Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating (CSGVP). Released every three years by the Government of Canada, this collection of data highlights volunteer activities, charitable giving and participation. If interpreted strategically, results can build a better understanding of on-the-ground realities

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to help develop programs and services; however, few organizations have the time or inclination to sift through the detailed report. Volunteer Alberta reviewed the report and extracted important details for Alberta’s non-profit/voluntary sector. For example, organizations need to be attentive to noticeable gender differences. In Alberta, women volunteer more (58 percent vs. 51.6 percent for men) and, on average, spend more time volunteering (142 hours annually vs. 137 for men). Collecting and understanding data is increasingly central to strategic decision making in the sector. The challenge is stopping long enough to recognize the implications the data reveals and then be courageous in changing or refining direction. Karen credits much of her success at Volunteer Alberta to her experiences gained from volunteering. “The degrees and diplomas—while necessary steps for becoming a leader—aren’t enough. You need practical experience to determine what you need to know to have a positive impact on the sector. That’s why I tell young adults to put down the phone and actually network in person. It’s the best decision you can make for yourself in the long run.” Involving the next generation (the average age of Karen’s Volunteer Alberta colleagues is 29) in the non-profit/voluntary sector is paramount to the sector’s continued success. Practicing what she preaches, Volunteer Alberta hosts the Serving Communities Internship Program, engaging youth in meaningful internships with non-profit/voluntary organizations. SCiP brings talented, enthusiastic post-secondary students to organizations while providing the students with the skills and experience they will need. This sort of visionary thinking is Karen’s hallmark and, with people like her, Alberta’s nonprofit/voluntary sector continue to thrive. And regarding motherhood and apple pie— she regularly travels to see her twins at Harvard and Loyola Law School, and her favourite dessert is apple pie with ice cream! √

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EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

Date Purchased:

Connie Kennedy

T H E P E R S O N A L I T Y O F B U S I N E S S I N T H E C A P I TA L R E G I O N

12851 - 56 Street, Edmonton, AB T5A 0C9

Tel: (780) 701-3715 Fax: (780) 454-3222

Edmonton’s number one ADVERTISING PROOF real estate lister and seller Attention: Date: of condominiums Fax: To Appear in: hen it comes to condos in Edmonton, Connie Kennedy is on Date Purchased: top. She is the city’s number one real estate lister and seller

of condominiums. Her success reflects a long career filled with hard work, passion, and many firsts. Kennedy’s career in real estate began in 1968, selling the first condominium ever in Canada right here in Edmonton. “I had just started in real estate and I was asked if I would like to sell condominiums,” she recalls. “It became a passion. I made a life out of it, and I love my life.” The walls of Kennedy’s office, covered in plaques and certificates, document a career with a plethora of achievements. She has been in the top 1% of Re/Max Residential in Canada year after year. Kennedy joined the Re/Max Hall of Fame in 1993, became a Life Member of the Realtors Association of Edmonton in 1997, and in 1999 received a Re/Max Lifetime Achievement award. In 2009, Kennedy was awarded the Re/Max Circle of Legends, the highest professional honour a Re/Max Associate can receive. Most recently, Kennedy received the Re/Max Chairman’s Award in 2011. As well, she is the first woman real estate agent to become a member of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, who selected her as “Realtor of the Year” in 2006. In person, Kennedy exudes confidence combined with a sincerity that reflects her values of honesty and integrity. She takes a personal interest in all of her clients and loves working with them. “In real estate you are almost always dealing with happy people,” she explains. “People are happy when they sell and people are happy when they buy. It’s exciting for them and for me to see people doing things like jumping up and down and taking pictures.”

to the changes that have taken place over the decades, and looks forward to the continued growth of the city. Kennedy has blazed the trail for women in other aspects of her professional life. Prior to her career in real estate, she was the first woman to sell television airtime in Canada (for CFRN) and worked for a time in the newspaper industry, in charge of advertising at the Edmonton Free Press. She was the first woman on the Executive of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce. Kennedy loves being called a “pioneer” and the “Condo Queen” and has mentored many women in business. “I love to see women successful as lawyers and doctors and engineers and realtors and architects and in trades where men were traditionally in the forefront - and now women are right in there with them.” A key to Kennedy’s success is her strong work ethic. Her day begins at 6 a.m. and she works every day, including Saturdays and Sunday afternoons after church. At the same time, she maintains a work/life balance which includes being an avid reader of non-fiction, staying on top of current events by watching the news daily, and visiting her cottage where she enjoys driving her boat. Kennedy gives back to the community through the charities she supports. A portion of every sales commission is donated to the Stollery Children’s Hospital and the Realtors Community Foundation. She also donates annually to Camp He Ho Ha (Health, Hope & Happiness) and supports the Robertson Wesley United Church’s outreach program by providing funds for the food purchased for their community meals each year.

Signature: � Approved � Approved With Corrections � 2nd Proof Required Family is also important to Kennedy, a mother of two adult sons

• •

This year, Kennedy attended the Re/Max Western Canada and grandmother of three. As an entrepreneur, Kennedy enjoys the Convention in Victoria in February and the Re/Max International flexibility of her schedule. “Real estate is a wonderful career for any Convention in March in Las Vegas, where sheback took educational person with family because, if you plan your year accordingly, you Please fax your changes or additions as soon as possible to: a(780) 454-3222 courses on various aspects of the current economy and situations can take time off during Christmas and Easter. You can be home to If we doaffecting not have back will assume the realany estatechanges business. “I felt whenby I came back that I could make lunch4PM, for your we children, ” she explains. the ad may appear help my clients even more,” she says. Unlike others at her stage of life, Kennedy shows no sign of slowing Born in Three Hills, Kennedy made Edmonton her permanent home down. “I fit my personal life around my business life. I don’t know in 1959. “The two highest buildings were the Hotel Macdonald and anything different. This is the way it has been for 44 years, and I love Legislature,” she recalls. Indeed, Kennedy has paid close attention it that way. I don’t feel like I’m working. I’m helping people.”

CALL 780.482.6766

100, 10510 - 121 Street Edmonton, Alberta

� Approved � Approved With Corrections � 2nd Proof Required Signature: EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

as is.

ALBERTAWOMENENTREPRENEURS

Arlene Dickinson accepting Celebration of Achievement award

Heart & Passion…

Women Entrepreneurs!

Closing keynote speaker Jessica Jackley, co-founder of KIVA

By Jennifer Hughes and Barb Deters

rom a two-day event that

connects, motivates and empowers women-owned businesses, to an evening celebrating the achievements of an Alberta-grown entrepreneur who has greatly impacted the entrepreneurial landscape, this spring has been a busy one for Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE). AWE’s conference, Connecting to Success, is an annual, one-of-a-kind, entrepreneurial event. This year’s conference brought together more than 120 women entrepreneurs from across the country to connect with one another and to learn new ways to grow their businesses. They fueled their passion through the shared experiences of those who have built successful, thriving businesses, such as closing keynote speaker Jessica Jackley, co-founder of KIVA, the world’s best known microlending website. By participating in the conference’s workshops, these entrepreneurs seized the opportunity to gain practical knowledge that will strategically enhance their businesses and expand profits. And, with the connections to peers and industry experts, the women have now multiplied their networks exponentially. “Successful women entrepreneurs exist at all stages of business growth and are leading all types of ventures, ranging from industrial services to logistics to information technology to infrastructure companies. Their businesses are critical elements of commerce in all economies,” says Tracey Scarlett, AWE’s Chief Executive Officer. “Through events like Connecting to Success, AWE is able to help assist in guiding these businesses as they grow and reach their full potential.” In a province with over 110,700 womenowned businesses, AWE realized that, while it is important to assist women entrepreneurs in finding success, it is also important to celebrate

them as well. In early May at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, AWE hosted the first annual Celebration of Connecting to Success conference Achievement ‘Expert Connections’ roundtables award ceremony, honouring the accomplishments and contributions made by Alberta “I love Alberta. It’s a entrepreneur fantastic entrepreneurial Arlene province,” Dickinson Dickinson, exclaimed. “I’m thrilled CEO of Venture that the women recognized Communications me in that province. I Ltd. love that it’s women. I Arlene Dick inson with C The love the fact that it C y ouncillors K Celebration of aren Leibovi of Edmonton it’s other women Achievement pays and Kim Kru ci, Jane Batty who are elevating, shell tribute to a woman hoping to celebrate entrepreneur who and look at what has achieved success can look commendable like for all of us. success while And if I even—one impacting the iota—represent any economy, the sort of role model, community, and then that to me is the perception of something I take entrepreneurship extremely seriously.” as a career choice for women and girls. Thanks to the Dickinson, 56, joined Venture in Calgary in amazing women 1988 to support her four children, and became entrepreneurs across Alberta, events like sole owner 10 years later. She expanded the firm Connecting to Success and the Celebration with offices in Toronto and Ottawa, and has an of Achievement will continue to flourish for estimated worth of $80 million. Dickinson is the years to come. “We want to be a hub—a only go-to gal on CBC’s popular Dragon’s Den, connector—that brings women entrepreneurs and this season launched her new show, The Big together to achieve and celebrate success,” Decision. explains Scarlett. “Our goal is to not only help AWE was thrilled to kick off this inaugural grow successful woman-owned businesses event with a very humbled Dickinson, who that contribute to the economy, but to also was extremely flattered to be recognized as a recognize the individual needs of entrepreneurs visionary entrepreneur, inspirational leader and and make sure they has access to all of the role model. resources needed to attain success.” √ EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

CALL 780.438.8298 EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

8109 - 101 Street. Edmonton, Alberta

SOCIALSCENE Photos by Jack Beker (left) Mike Pelyk, Norm Lacombe, Mark Napier, Ron Flockhart, Chris Bruce (Scotiabank Vice President, Edmonton District), Nathan Dempsey, Georges Laraque, Gordie Howe, Todd Simpson, Kraig Nienhuis,Lyn Krutzfeldt (President, Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories), Bryan Trottier, Marty McSorley, Theo Fleury, Joaquin Gage, Sean Brown, Gene Zwozdesky (MLA for Edmonton Mill Creek)

Stick it to Alzheimer’s

Gene Zwozdesky (MLA for Edmonton Mill Creek), Bryan Trottier, Marty McSorley, Mike Pelyk

ring together Mr. Hockey®, a host of NHL Alumni, some enthusiastic amateurs, a good cause, and you have a winning formula for fun and fundraising. The third annual Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer’s— an innovative charitable hockey tournament sponsored by Scotiabank in partnership with Baycrest and the NHL Alumni Association—was held during the March/April weekend. Proceeds went to the Gordie & Colleen Howe Fund for Alzheimer’s, which supports local Alzheimer Societies, and Baycrest, a global leader in developing and providing innovations in aging and brain health. With a final total of $3 million raised over the course of three years, supporters in the Capital Region are thrilled with the outcome. This three-day hockey experience gave amateur hockey players the chance to lace up their skates and play with and against former NHLers. Prior to the tournament hundreds gathered at the Delta Edmonton South for the Gordie Howe & Friends Luncheon. Making a quick stop at the event was the Premier Alison Redford, who enjoyed a few special moments with the legendary Mr. Hockey®. Over the course of the weekend, the tournament saw many great goals scored and a hockey bag full of memories for everyone in attendance… on and off the ice! For more information on the 2013 Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer’s, and to donate, log onto www.scotiabankproam.com. √

Former Oiler Mark Napier Georges Laraque takes it to the net during the Pro-Am Game.

eans nyski l s l e h s u r t Mike K e participan on th

Jim Peplinski high-fives Norm Lacombe

Premier Alison Redford with Mr. Hockey® Gordie Howe Chris Bruce (Scotiabank Vice President, Edmonton District) at podium, speaks to the audience at the Gordie Howe and Friends Luncheon 20

EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

SOCIALSCENE

Canadian Mental Health AssociationEdmonton President Moe Najmeddine welcomed the guests

Evelyn Kohlman, Marilyn Thurston and Heather Teghtmeyer

Have a Heart...

Lyle Watling, Leslie and Ted Power

for Mental Health

Photos by Barb Deters

he 5th annual fundraising gala dinner in support of the Canadian Mental Health Association-Edmonton was held at Sorrentino’s Downtown, hosted by President Moe Najmeddine, Executive Director Ione Challborn and members of the Board of Directors. The intimate event is billed as a non-gala gala, attended by about 140 patrons. The bellinis were a bonus… the food was fantastic… the conversation was lively… and, as always, the speeches—two!—were short.

Vincent Gregory, Helene Carlyk, Anna Medic and Henrietta Naqvi

Manjot Fargey, Parkash Pann and Bev Decore

Monica Zeniuk

Lyn Krutzfeldt (President, Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories), Bill Gaudette (CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Alberta & Northwest Territories), Premier Alison Redford and Gordie Howe

EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

Artist Sandra Ward with Gordie and son Marty Howe

Bryan Trottier, Curtis Joseph and Georges Laraque

WALKINGTHETALK

Barbara Ashley Phillips

CONFLICT... Love It W omen are acculturated

to being nice. Canadian women get a double dose— first from the culture, then from the sexually-oriented conditioning. Canadians, it is said, would rather be nice than be honest. It’s beside the point that we have a deferential quality in our national character that gives us a remarkable ability to be nice. We’re not ’mericans, as George W. Bush would say. We’re Canadians. And, yet, we could benefit from some attitude adjustment around conflict. The beauty of conflict is that it challenges “business as usual.” When the customary and ordinary are given a shake, there’s a greater chance for something real to happen. By that I mean there is a greater chance people will cut through social and cultural artifice to 1) say what they are really thinking, and 2) say how they arrived at that, so that change can happen. Change based on such honesty helps organizations— and relationships. The felt pain in conflict comes primarily from two places: First, our cultural conditioning. If we were brought up to believe conflict was bad, then it is terribly painful to be faced with conflict. All that old conditioning kicks in, and we’re almost paralyzed by it. We’ll do anything to make it go away because it tells us we are bad. Who wouldn’t want out of this dilemma? It is perfectly understandable. And so, for us, we’re willing to buy peace. But here’s the catch: Peace at any cost is deadly. ”Stuffing it” for temporary pain relief takes all of the stressors from a conflict and embeds them in our body, where their poison undermines our health and relationships. Giving in to such conditioning comes at a steep price, increasing over time. The second main source of pain in conflict

is when we take it personally. In the blog, The Identity Trap, I explore what happens when we identify with our roles, the quality of our work, or even our opinions. If you are your opinions then anyone disagreeing with them has attacked you personally. Any attack on identity is likely to separate you decisively from whoever stepped over that invisible line. Feeling yourself attacked is something you must move beyond, if any good is to come from the conflict. While conflict can be painful, it need not lead to suffering. Have you ever had the experience of arguing with someone, reaching an understanding and finding that, instead of a damaged relationship, your relationship with that person is much stronger? That’s more common than you might think. When your relationship—business or personal—is put to the test and you transcend the difficulty, you have made the relationship stronger. Sometimes that feels so good, you want to invite more difficulty just so the two of you can go higher up the mountain of relationship possibilities. This can’t happen when there is a cave-in or pretense at resolution. All that buried resistance is simply lying in wait for an inopportune time to explode out of you. Most real rage is not at all about the current situation. Rather, the rage is a load of pain one has been carrying from earlier times (often starting in childhood), and is venting it all in the moment, as if it were about the present when it’s not. I had such an experience. I was CEO of a small company (15 employees) and was used to being listened to. One of my department heads had done something I had expressly told her not to do. And, uncommonly for me, I blew up at her. Fortunately, a brave colleague took

me aside and showed me that my behaviour was not much about the current situation, but was a carry-over from my past. It took a while before I saw it. When I did, about 45 minutes later, I went back to this manager, apologized and explained what had happened. From that moment on, we had a terrific relationship. The honesty that came out of me squarely facing my imperfect behaviour did what honesty does. Honesty is a great healer… often leading to the conflict completely dissolving. It also made it safe for others to admit their mistakes, making us stronger as an organization. The relationship gets restored because something real happened. And the business, as well as the relationship, benefits. So the next time you find yourself in a conflict, enjoy it! If your old way of handling conflict isn’t working for you, change it. Remember the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Let us know what happened when you turned the tables on your old conditioning or admitted to your part in the situation with no cover-up. When you found you weren’t your opinions, your job or anything else you thought about yourself, you grew and others notice it. Because you grew, the business, the relationship and you are healthier and stronger. √ Barbara Ashley Phillips coaches, facilitates, mediates and trains in high level communication and conflict management skills as well as new leadership perspectives and abilities. These bring more of your resourcefulness forward in your life. She is also a public speaker. Contact: 780.465-1721 or barbara@co-creating.ca For her free newsletter and Leadership Tips go to www.co-creating.ca EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

HOMEENVISION

with Elissa Scott

BEYOND BLACK&WHITE

magine living in a world of

purely black and white, devoid of colour. It could be reminiscent of an old film, in greyed scales, empty of any visual interest. Some details are more visible in black and white, with further highlights and shadows becoming more apparent. Visualizing monotones may produce a graceful appearance with their simple, quiet and mellow beauty. Artists use graphite pencils of varying smoothness, or black charcoal on white paper to create line, shading and focal points. Even photographers take pictures in black and white, to cancel out the noise. Sometimes colour can be loud. Black might represent sophistication, elegance and class, but also the duality of mystery, danger and darkness, like gangster cars, bad luck cats and evil. With black, we think of the universe and infinity, so painting a wall black can peculiarly give the illusion of more openness and space in a room. It’s been said to keep a hint of black in every room as an anchoring element. Black absorbs light and heat. The polar opposite of black is its contrasting counterpart white. White symbolizes purity, cleanliness, brightness and loyalty, like the snow and clouds of nature. On the flipside, white could produce the sense of emptiness, loneliness or even insanity, suggestive of the famed white walls of a psych ward. Some people can’t bear to live in a white space as it stirs up discomforting feelings, while Buddhist monks find peace in meditating, staring at a white wall. Galleries use white backgrounds to showcase art. Modern rooms are heightened with white details and architectural finishes pop when painted an unadulterated white. White can also be used in a room as a clean slate or a fresh start. Now imagine sparkling iridescent sand, glittering cobalt water, beside fresh emerald foliage with cheery yellow flowers and juicy red fruit. All pictured against the sunset of a fiery ball settling upon the edge of the earth, EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

to use colour in your own home or office décor. Tangerine invites black and whites to pop up like toast. Flamingo commands artwork to dance. Sapphire begs architectural details to sing. Think about what colours make you happy and those that don’t. We all have our own individual colour darlings and disgusts. Each colour prompts personal memories of good or bad, and may be different for any other person looking at it. Every possible colour in the spectrum will have its own unique personality. Observe the feelings colour inspires within yourself and stay true to this compass—even when it ends up being black or white. √

casting hues of purple and orange across the evening sky. Where would we be without colour? Black and white invalidates the miracle of a rainbow. Often times, colour becomes magical. The Creator selected the most neutral, easy-on-the-eye ranges of blue for the vastness of water and sky. Man usually opts for beige as an impersonal neutral, thinking it will enhance resale or be the easiest to live with. Choose to stretch beyond superficial safety nets when decorating and don’t feel intimidated

Elissa Scott specializes in inspirational design concepts, creative colour schemes, and stunning custom art creations. Contact 780.970.8860 or elissa@gruuvyroomz.com

CREATIVEINTERIORS with Cheryll Gillespie & Sam Shakura

here is nothing sexier

Vintage Chic

than a room that has character, diversity and personalized attributes that truly showcase both the owner’s spirit and the architectural bones of the home itself. Whether you are on a budget or not, flea market, vintage and second hand décor is all the rage this summer! Creating brilliant rooms cannot be done with matchy-matchy room-in-a-bag decorating. In fashion—and in home design— we love to attempt to forecast future trends, while referencing the past for tried and true styles. There’s no better way to bring in that vintage chicness than refurbishing a secondhand piece of furniture or accessory in your room (plus you’ll save a ton of money, and have fun in the process). Anyone can go to a pawn shop, secondhand store, flea market or even a garage sale, but it takes a trained eye and some expert advice to bring home valuable pieces you can actually turn into something fabulous— worthy of a second life! When Cher and I are traveling around the globe shooting our TV program, Let’s

Shop, one of our absolute favourite things to do is visit secondhand stores or local markets to discover indigenous treasures to bring home. One trick we’ve learned is that impulse buying, in this case, is necessary. You don’t often make it back to the same store twice and, if you do, someone has already snagged the one-of piece… so buy with your heart and your gut. If you fall in love with something, but aren’t quite sure if it will work, buy it and figure it out later. We encourage our clients to fill their homes with treasured items with memories and stories attached to them.

Refurbished and recycled items already have history… they already have your personal attention to adapt them into your own home’s style… and they already have a life of their own! The joy is truly all in the hunt. Put on your best deal-scouring, style-hunting shoes and let’s go vintage shopping! My number one ‘hot’ vintage item is the one-of chair. Perhaps it needs a new paint job (thoroughly sand first, then try glamming up the chair with hot pink, forest green or even random bright splashes of colour)… or maybe it could be half-dipped in chrome (just the back rest or just the legs for a real artistic vibe). Think of where this chair could go: Is there a lonely corner in your home that doesn’t necessarily need to be a functional seating area, but could use a piece of art? Does your dining table look completely predictable with matching chairs and a matching table? We often mismatch our chairs in the dining room, or add a one-of bench. Don’t rule out re-upholstering an antique chair in a modern fabric, like an unconventional damask made out of flora fauna or a zigzag stripe, or even in gorgeous vintage designer scarves or belts. We recently found a very cool wooden chaise at a thrift store that we decoupaged (collage of paper pasted onto the chair with a simple glue formula) with healthy recipes and inspirational quotes from fitness magazines for a client’s home gym—amazing and all for under $50! We’ve used an over-stuffed, ripping at the seams, big comfy burnt orange leather armchair (found at an Upper East Side New York estate sale) in a bachelor’s home office on top of a super modern cowhide and beside a very contemporary metal desk. It has mystique. It looks like it has been through hundreds of deep intellectual conversations, cigar at hand, whisky decanter alongside— fabulous and quirky! EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

Next item on my vintage ‘must-have list’ is stunning table lamp bases. These are always a good score because the shade usually looks terrible so the shop owner will let it go for cheap. It’s easy to put on a new shade and even a new finial (the small ornament that holds the shade onto the harp of the lamp), and give the vintage lamp a modern makeover. We love overly ornate peacock bases, oversized metal art deco bases or organic crystal and driftwood bases. Always be on the hunt for odd accessories, truly kin to their decade, which will look spectacular in traditional spaces or wonderfully juxtaposed in ultramodern rooms. We love the look of a vintage symbol-holding toy monkey (circa Phantom of the Opera Victorian era) on top of a stack of coffee table books in the living room… or a gilded baroque hand mirror laid upon a sleek powder room counter. These pieces are allowed to look ‘out-of-place’ because they are unique. Scour for old leather

EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

bound books and hunt for vintage signs, giant letters and posters, which are real conversation starters in any décor. Here are some last minute tips before you hit the streets and back roads: Don’t be discouraged if you don’t fall in love with anything the first time you go out vintage shopping. It takes practice and patience to unearth the true finds. Dig deep! Remember, shop with your heart, don’t be afraid of refurbishing any piece with a little TLC, and try to think of new, unintentional ways to enjoy the item. In fact, forget what it was made for; think about what it could be instead. √ Cheryll and Sam are partners in Rock House of Design Inc., Seven Sins Fashion, Rock House Luxury Concierge & At Home the National Radio Show, and can be reached at 778.477.1178. Want more? Visit: www.rockhousestyle. com... Read: www.samshakura. com... Follow: www.facebook. com/rockhousestyle...Tweet: www.twitter.com/rockhousestyle

STREETCOMMERCE

Always Home:

Keeping a roof over your head, no matter what. By Lynne Jones, CMA

n empty house can seem sad

Critical illness insurance generally pays decreases as you pay off your mortgage—so you a one-time lump sum benefit amount if you end up paying the same premium for less and lonely. But a home—that’s you are diagnosed with a critical illness or coverage. If anything happens to you, the different. death benefit is payable to the lender, not your condition as defined in your policy. Critical It’s your place, an illness insurance is not tied to a mortgage family. And renewal rates aren’t guaranteed. architectural shell you’ve or any other personal or business loan. filled with the beauty of You usually can use the benefit to help pay A personal life insurance policy insures life, the emotion of living. And, whether off your outstanding mortgage loan, make you, not your mortgage. You determine it’s your first home or your dream home, payments while you recover, or for any the amount of coverage you want—it’s not the most important fact is it’s your home. other personal or business need. tied to the value of your mortgage. You At least, it is your home for as long as you own the policy so you have the freedom continue to pay the mortgage. If you want your home to be a secure haven to name your beneficiaries and they can That’s why you budget carefully and no matter what happens to you, having make those mortgage payments each month. choose how to use the proceeds. You can switch to another lending institution without enough insurance to cover your mortgage But, what if you couldn’t? What if sickness, debt is essential. And, if you want to be able jeopardizing your coverage and your injury or death made it impossible to keep maintain your family’s lifestyle come coverage doesn’t decrease as your mortgage up with the mortgage payments? Would 12851 - 56to Street, what may, disability and critical illness is paid down, which means that for every your family be able to stay in their home? Edmonton, 0C9are equally important. insurance repaid, there AB T5A Fortunately, there are ways to ensure your dollar of mortgage principal We can show you how insurance can play will be additional proceedsTel: available to your701-3715 family will always have a roof over their (780) an important role in bringing your financial family at a time when they may need them heads, regardless of what happens to you. security plan home to stay. √ the most. Fax: (780) 454-3222 But, what’s best for your situation? Let’s O take F Ba U S I N E S S I N T H E C A P I T A Also, L R Eyour G Ipolicy O N can be customized with look. Lynne Jones, CMA, is a consultant with the options and features you choose, which Investors Group. Contact: lynne.jones@ may include having your premiums waived Traditional mortgage insurance will pay investorsgroup.com if you become disabled. off the total outstanding amount of your mortgage when you die. Most lending Managing your money Disability insurance protects your ability institutions offer mortgage insurance as This report specifically written and published by Investors to continue to make mortgage payments by part of their mortgage options and they’ll Date: Group is presented as a general source of information only, providing money if you can’t work. You usually integrate the premiums into your and is not intended as a solicitation to buy or sell specific may havein: a group plan at work that includes investments, nor is it intended to provide legal advice. total mortgage payments. But, this type of To Appear Prospective investors should review the annual report, disability insurance. But, group coverage insurance often does more to protect the simplified prospectus, and annual information form of any ceases when you leave your job… and, if lender than you. fund carefully before making an investment decision. Clients you’re self-employed, you may not have For starters, your lender owns the policy should discuss their situation with their Consultant for advice a plan. A group plan may also have limits based on their specific circumstances. and if you find a better mortgage rate at Insurance products and services offered through I.G. on payouts and may narrowly define the another lending institution, your mortgage Insurance Services Inc. (in Quebec, a financial services term “disability” which could require you insurance usually can’t be moved to the new firm). Insurance license sponsored by The Great-West Life to relinquish payments or return to work institution, and you may have to re-qualify Assurance Company (outside of Quebec). prematurely. A personal disability plan can ™Trademark owned by IGM Financial Inc. and licensed to medically for the new protection. Lender its subsidiary corporations. supplement other disability benefits in ways provided mortgage insurance is set at the “Always home—keeping a roof over your head, no matter that make sense for you. amount of your mortgage and generally what” ©2012 Investors Group Inc. (03/2012) MP1067

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EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENT

with Mark Wardell

Which social media platforms are best for your business?

Three essential Qs to ask.

ocial media can be a highly

effective marketing and PR tool. Talk to the marketing experts and you’ll learn about all kinds of new strategies that have emerged to help businesses reach their target audiences and connect with media online, on platforms like FB, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and LinkedIn. As a business owner, it can be frustrating to determine which social media options are best for your company. Every day, there is a new article explaining how each of these platforms can help you reach more customers, attract media attention and improve your branding. The following questions are designed to help you successfully filter your social media options and invest in the solutions that are best for you.

1. DOES THE PLATFORM COMPLEMENT YOUR CORPORATE OBJECTIVES?

As with any change in the direction of your business, success comes when you carefully weigh your options against the corporate objectives of your company. To ensure the decisions you make are wise, you need to have a solid grasp on your corporate objectives (immediate and long-term). For example, Facebook, a stellar marketing tool for many, isn’t the right fit for every business. Many community organizations and consumer businesses are achieving great success on Facebook. You’ve likely heard of companies like Starbucks, which reaches more customers through FB than any other marketing effort. Starbucks’s corporate goals, however, are not the same as, for example, a service company like Wardell, where 90 percent of our business comes from referrals from existing customers. Facebook really isn’t a good fit for us. Instead, we’ve decided to EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

channel our marketing efforts into programs that generate referrals from existing clients. As for social media platforms, Twitter and LinkedIn are best suited to our corporate branding and objectives.

percent average increase in their customer count on “special promotion” days.

2. WHERE IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE MOST LIKELY TO ENGAGE WITH YOU?

Remember, social media is about sharing information. So, if you’re entering a new space, you need to be prepared to offer valuable industry information and to engage in conversations with others in your industry and complementary industries, along with sharing your business information. To do this well requires time and creative strategy. Before you delve into it, develop a plan and make sure you have the resources to execute your plan. If you don’t have time to do it yourself, can you afford to hire an agency or consultant to manage the social media platform on your behalf? And, once you get rolling, it’s important to regularly measure your growth and success to make sure it’s worth your efforts.

LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Blogging are just a few of the most popular social media platforms you can choose from. Chances are, your target audience will be using, and will want to engage on, one or more of these platforms. But, which ones? And what types of information are they looking for vs. what you want to say? For example, an engineering equipment firm may want to use Twitter to reach the senior executives who buy from them. And there is a good chance those executives are on Twitter, but are they looking for product information in that space or are they going elsewhere when they want that information? Do some research. Investigate which platforms your competitors are using to get a better understanding of what is working for others in your industry. You may be able to learn from their successes or failures before you invest time and energy into a new space. But don’t just investigate the competitors in your home town, look at what very successful, global brands are doing and how they’re doing it. Recently, a discount retailer we work with incorporated Twitter into their marketing efforts. They investigated the ways several international retailers were using Twitter successfully, and duplicated a number of the strategies that best fit their objectives. One strategy is to tweet special promotions and new products to their growing followers. Within six months, they have achieved a nine

3. DO YOU HAVE THE TIME TO PROFESSIONALLY MANAGE THE PLATFORM?

Each of the most popular social media platforms is tailored toward different needs, creating diverse marketing opportunities for your business. You need to first understand your corporate and marketing goals (target audience, offering and objectives) before you choose the platform that will best meet your needs. √ Mark is President & Founder of Wardell Professional Development (www.wardell.biz), an advisory group that helps business owners plan and execute the growth of their companies. The author of seven business books, Mark also writes regularly for several national business publications, including Profit Magazine, the Globe and Mail, and CGA Magazine. Email him at mark@wardell.biz

MERGERS&ACQUISITIONS

When should I sell

my business?

s a business broker, I am

often asked two questions by potential sellers of their businesses. The first is, “Can you tell me the value of my business?” and the second is “When is it a good time to sell my business?” So in this edition, I decided to try to answer the second question. Timing is everything in business. Knowing when to sell is an important decision that you’re going to face, sooner or later, as an owner. It’s better to have a firm grasp on where you want to be in five… 10 years from now; and whether that involves the business you own. Be sure you consult your business advisor… but, in the meantime, here are a few scenarios that should help you with determining when the right time is.

THE INDUSTRY IS HOT

Each industry has a different cycle of when the market is in demand for those types of businesses. Healthcare, for example, is one that continues to be a hot industry for entrepreneurs—buyers and sellers. It is better to sell your business when things are going well than when they are not. It is easier, for example, to find an enthusiastic and qualified buyer to take over the reins if the company has a clean balance sheet, established patents on products, a strong inventory and

customer base, and two consecutive years of $500,000 in earnings. Some brokers might suggest that you shouldn’t sell because you may not get the maximum amount you could receive for your business if you wait a few more years. However, the future is difficult to predict with certainty. A lot of things can happen during that time. Your business might take a downturn… or, you may decide you don’t want to run the business anymore. This scenario happens quite often and can further complicate matters if: • You’ve already renewed a lease in your name for another five years; • You have no heir apparent; and/or • Your product line has become out of date; I recall, in 2006 and 2007, meeting some business owners who believed that the economy was going to stay hot for a long time and that they would continue to increase revenues each year. They were not interested in selling. But then the great recession of 2008 took hold, and most of them found that they had to reduce their expectations and some even had to re-invest to remain operational. It is only now in 2012 that they see a recovery in their financial statements. Sadly, they are five years older, and have less energy and time to continue to build the businesses to pre-2008 levels. This is why you should consider speaking to your advisors and decide if the time is now

with Jey Arul

to sell to a qualified buyer and pursue a new endeavour.

FOLLOWING PROPER PLANNING AND PREPARATION

You may find that you are ready to sell your business. But, have you properly prepared and planned for it? Without a SWOT—strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats—analysis that you can compare to competitors, you will not be able to determine if your business needs improvements before being put on the market. You should speak to your advisor to perform a valuation of your business to determine what needs to be done so you will be ready to entertain inquiries from qualified buyers.

A STRONG ECONOMY

With the recent recession, you may be more hesitant. However, with the economy recovering, more entrepreneurs have been finding available funds recently. As market conditions improve, you could well achieve the desired price for your business. √ Jey Arul is president of VR Business Sales in Edmonton, AB. He started the mergers and acquisitions company in 2007 after leaving his position as a senior commercial banker for a Canadian Bank. Jey holds a BA in Psychology and an Executive MBA. Visit www.vralta.com

780.940.1288 www.momentsindigital.com 28

EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

LEGALLYSPEAKING

Suing in Canada for Injuries during

with Ian L. Wachowicz

n April 18th, 2012, the

Foreign Holidays

Supreme Court of Canada issued its decision in Club Resorts Ltd. v. Van Breda, 2012 SCC 17. This decision came out of two different incidents where people who lived in Canada and were injured by accidents that occurred while they were on holidays in Cuba. The injured Canadians came back to Canada and sued the resorts where they stayed in Cuba in the Canadian courts. The resorts tried to block the lawsuits, claiming that these lawsuits should not have been brought in Canada, but in Cuba where the accidents occurred. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, and the Supreme Court of Canada allowed both lawsuits to proceed in Canada. The case is interesting for lawyers because it provides a detailed analysis of when, in all situations, the court will allow lawsuits to be brought in Canada for events and damages that may have some connection to a foreign jurisdiction. Basically, there are four situations, anyone of which will allow a lawsuit to be brought in Canada, and they are: (a) if the person being sued is an individual who lives in Canada; (b) the person being sued or the company being sued carries on business in Canada; (c) the wrongs that led to the lawsuit were committed in Canada; and (d) the lawsuit involved a contract that was made in Canada. It is important to note that each province in Canada is a separate jurisdiction, and you would have to bring the lawsuit in the courts of the province where at least one of the above factors was true.

EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

The Court went on to say that barring some exceptional circumstances, the court should not hear a case if one of those four situations is not present. The Court then went on to say that even if one of those factors is present, and the court has the ability to take jurisdiction, a foreign defendant could ask the court to decline to accept jurisdiction if running the trial in a Canadian provinceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s courts is going to be inconvenient. If a defendant can point to factors such as: (a) the expense of inconvenience of having witnesses attend a trial in Canada; (b) that the Canadian court will have to apply the law of a foreign jurisdiction; (c) that the trial in a Canadian province will allow a multiplicity of legal proceedings; (d) allowing the trial in the Canadian province will allow for conflicting decisions of different courts; (e) allowing the trial to run in Canada will end up in a judgment that may not be enforceable; and (f) whether or not the trial will allow the fair and efficient working of the system of justice. Given this general analysis and state of the law, a person may think that the two holidaying Canadians who tried to sue the resorts in Cuba would be out of luck, however, two factors allowed each of the holidaying Canadians to be able to bring their lawsuits in Ontario. In the first case, the Canadian who was going down on a holiday entered into a contract with the resort while he was still in

Canada. The arrangement was that he would provide tennis lessons to the guests of the resort in exchange for accommodation for him and others when he arrived there. As a result, the Court viewed this to have been a contract made in Canada, and therefore the Court took jurisdiction over the dispute. While the Court acknowledged that there may be some aspects of inconvenience to running the lawsuit in Canada, the Court felt that the inconvenience to the parties of running the lawsuit in Cuba would be greater. In the second situation, the Cuban resorts were held to be carrying on business in Ontario, deemed so because they were active in selling all-inclusive packages to customers in Ontario via a number of travel agents. The Court found that this meant that they were carrying on business in Ontario, and the Supreme Court of Canada did not disturb that finding. Therefore, because they were carrying on business in Ontario, the Supreme Court of Canada allowed them to be sued in Ontario, despite the fact that their resorts are located in Cuba and the company was actually registered in the Cayman Islands. In conclusion, these cases affirm that if holiday companies selling all-inclusive packages or other such packaged deals market their packages in Canada, if an injury occurs in the foreign jurisdiction, the Canadian customer is still able to sue for any of those injuries in the courts in Canada. â&#x2C6;&#x161; Ian L. Wachowicz is with Parlee McLaws LLP. E-mail iwachowicz@parlee.com; phone 780.423.8655. www.parlee.com

LIFEBALANCE

Step off the Wheel

with Lynn Fraser

…for Summer Fun

t all started with an innocent

“STEP OFF THE WHEEL” STRATEGY

enough gesture. Last year, we invited As Albertans, we work longer and harder our good friend, Gina, to join us than most Canadians. A February 2012 fact on our tarp on the Sunday night of sheet released by the U of A Parkland Institute the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. highlights that the average Albertan has 182 She was new to the Folk Fest and arrived on fewer hours of social leisure time than the Gallagher Hill part way through the evening, average Canadian. The Institute also points sunburned… no hat, program or hill chair… out that, in 2010, Albertans worked 7.5 weeks sans sweater, socks, windbreaker and water. more than the average worker in the top 15 You can imagine what happened. I Tshared forSEconomic H E P E developed R S O N OECD A L I T(Organisation Y OF BU INESS my drinks, healthy snacks, chair and blanket Co-operation and Development) countries. with her. Yet, once the sun set, she ended up Albertans also have fewer vacation and paid chilled, constantly battling a downhill slide. holidays per year than most countries in Without any familiarity with the talented Europe and many in the OECD. artists on main stage, she lost interest and left before the closing act; one of our own Alberta “Sometimes it’s important to work for that Attention: success stories, k. d. lang and the Siss Boom pot of gold. But other times it’s essential Bang. to take time off and to make sure that your We were disappointed and so wasFax: she. most important decision in the day simply Unfortunately, it was a miss for Gina. consists of choosing which color to slide Date Purchased: Yet, it could have been a different story had down on the rainbow.” she come prepared. Who knew that common ~ Douglas Pagels sense wasn’t common practice? Gina e-mailed me afterward and suggested THE BASICS I write an article to help other hapless newbies Essentials to pack for outdoor events include to plan ahead so they and their families a low back hill chair, available at Mountain and friends can enjoy summer festivals and Equipment Co-op or Campers Village; small outdoor activities to their fullest. So, for Gina flashlight, sunscreen, insect repellent, first and all you well-intentioned but disorganized aid kit (or at minimum, band aids); your people, here’s your guide. medications, a comfortable backpack, sharp

knife, plate & cutlery (if you have a ‘spork’ you’ve got two utensils in one – check Eddie Bauer or Mountain Equipment), reusable water bottle (BPA free and not glass), hand sanitizer, cooler on wheels, and clips to attach a water bottle or extra clothing to you. Always bring garbage bags with you so you can leave the place the same or better than when you found it! OneTofHthe tricks IN E best CA P I Twe’ve A L learned R E Gover ION the years is to bring a small spray bottle filled with water to spritz each other when the sun is beating down mercilessly. Bonus: This provides a fun and functional activity for kids; it doesn’t get any better than that! Good quality outdoor gear is worth every penny. I’ve tried the inexpensive Date: substitutes and ended up with hassles like To Appear in:and a broken zipper or feeling sweaty, wet miserable in inclement weather. If you’re dressed comfortably and practically, you can handle the inevitable challenges that present themselves when you’re outdoors in Alberta for extended periods of time! Comfortable footwear is a must; shop early for best selection. My husband and I have had good success at Mountain Equipment Co-op, Coast Mountain Sports or Mark’s Work Wearhouse for quality hiking boots. Breathable, water repellent layers, a wide-

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brimmed hat plus a toque for evening, sunglasses on a string, rain gear, gloves, large scarf or pashmina and ear plugs round out the essentials. I like to wear bright colours and, thankfully, the selection is sooooo much better than in the old days when everything practical was black or khaki. A vibrant pashmina adds a splash of colour plus serves as a daytime neck sun shield and a cozy shawl for evening. I learned this from my Arizona speaking colleagues who throw gorgeous pashminas over their suits to take the chill off the mornings and evenings. Why not look fashionable and be comfortable? Bonus: You’ll be easier to find in the crowd.

and fruit trays, individually wrapped cheese, whole grain crackers, vegetable chips, salsa, hummus, bean salads, wraps and pitas, nuts and dried fruit. I supplement with organic products from Planet Organic, Bosch Kitchen Centre and farmers’ markets. Or, you can delegate to our local eateries

“Be Prepared” and have fun!

GOOD FOOD + GOOD FRIEND = GOOD TIMES

I’m not much of a hiker. I prefer “nature walks” and I’m the first one who wants to know when we’re stopping for lunch! Sharing tasty, healthy food makes a huge difference in our energy level and enjoyment of the day… not to mention our budget! I know what you’re thinking: How the heck are you going to fit groceries and food prep into your schedule? Here’s my strategy to ensure weekend fun: Meal plan Monday or Tuesday evening… get groceries Wednesday… meal prep Thursday night… and Friday we’re off. Healthy snacks are the best way to keep the waistline in check and keep you energized for ‘weekend warrior’ activities. I find Costco affordable for veggie

for a price: Sunterra Market has picnic and gourmet take out. Meal assembly kitchens allow you to prepare your own entrees and take them home to freeze, or you can pay extra for them to prep everything for you if you don’t have the time. Freezer packs keep your food safe. Remember the two-hour rule: foods need to be hot or cold—two hours at room temperature max and, if it’s +30C, one hour is pushing it!

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Love your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” ~ Ashley Smith In my humble opinion, the best way to avoid our hapless friend Gina’s predicament is to follow the Scouts’ motto, “Be Prepared”. Choose to step off the wheel by planning ahead for the fun. Don’t end up miserable when we only have a few short months of summer to enjoy the many activities that Edmonton and area have to offer! See you around! √ Lynn Fraser, The Practical Life Balance Expert with Balance Your World Training & Coaching, is an enlightening speaker and a wholehearted coach. She works with individuals, as well as corporate and association teams who desire to become Healthy Focused People Attaining Sustainable Results. Visit her website at www. lynnfraser.ca. Resources: Parklandinstitute.ca; Mountain Equipment Co-op: mec.ca; Campers-village. com; Eddiebauer.com; Coast Mountain Sports: atmosphere.ca; Mark’s Work Wearhouse: Marks. com; Planetorganic.ca; Barbskitchen.com; AB Farmers Markets: sunnygirl.ca; Sunterramarket. com; Mealassembly.net

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More EEDC and...

EDC Annual Luncheon & AGM

A couple of days later, EEDC held its I had the opportunity last Annual General month to attend the Edmonton Meeting, and Economic Development announced three Corporation (EEDC) annual lunch appointments. with about 900 of my “A board closest friends. member since EEDC president and 2008, new chair CEO Ron Gilbertson (Dr.) Peter found a way to make Silverstone what are usually boring Ron Gilbertson will be joined statistics interesting. by JoAnn “Edmonton has a Kirkland remarkable economic story. and Tracey In 2011, our economy grew Scarlett. and showed momentum, and The new we are poised for a bright n directors were n A o J future. Combine that with appointed nd Kirkla our quality of life, we are to two-year well on our way to becoming terms, replacing recognized as one of the those whose world’s top mid-sized terms have cities.” expired or who In addition to ranking are stepping Peter Edmonton’s economy down: Laura S i lversto an A- overall, EEDC Schuler, Peter ne recognized local area Kiss and Bob organizations with its Gomes. Henry Yip annual achievement awards: steps down from his two-year Quantiam Technologies term as board chair.” in the innovation category, Kirkland is a hospitality Homeward Trust Edmonton and service veteran who now t for community leadership, consults for the industry, while carlet S y e c and Donovan Creative Scarlett is CEO of Alberta Tra Communications for Women Entrepreneurs which recognition category. supports women with building businesses.

On a somewhat sad note: Gilbertson has given the board notice that he will retire and leave EEDC when a replacement has been found. He’s been at the helm since 2007 and has done an admirable job. √

Homeward Trust receives Leadership Excellence Award

The Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) Leadership Excellence Award recognizes local organizations that both engage the community and act as a catalyst for change. These organizations demonstrate a proactive leadership approach, resulting in a sustained impact on the community or industry. At the annual lunch in April, EEDC named Homeward Trust Edmonton the recipient of the 2011 award.

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Mar off the Hook With Norman Leach “We are so honoured to be recognized with the Leadership Excellence Award,” said Susan McGee, Executive Director of Homeward Trust Edmonton. “We are fortunate to have the support of a passionate community. Everything we do is through partnerships. This is not just our award; it’s the community’s award.” In a media release, Homeward Trust described itself as “a communitybased organization (that) coordinates initiatives to end homeless in Edmonton through priorities outlined in the Government of Alberta and City of Edmonton’s 10 year plans to end homelessness. Since 2001, Homeward Trust has provided over $100 million in funding to 80 capital and over 100 support projects; created over 1,900 new housing units and housed over 1,750 individuals through the Housing First Support Program.” Through its partnerships with community agencies, Homeward Trust develops programs and initiatives such as the Housing First Support Program and Find, a furniture bank that provides gently used furniture at no charge to Housing First participants. “With the support of our community, we will continue toward our goal to end homelessness in Edmonton,” said McGee. “Our work is just beginning, and we are excited to continue the journey.” √

Gary Mar

Gary Mar returns to Hong Kong

Alberta has 10 international offices spread across the world in cities as diverse as London, Washington and Hong Kong. Gary Mar, former Health Minister and PC Leadership candidate, is unique in that he has now served Alberta business in both Washington and, now, Hong Kong. Unfortunately, concerns were raised when Mar held a fundraiser to retire some of the debt he had incurred in the leadership race. There was a question as to whether he had inappropriately used his government position to solicit those funds. The Government of Alberta recently announced that Mar had been cleared of all allegations and would be returning to his post in Hong Kong. According to a government news release “…The issue was referred to Peter Watson, Deputy Minister of Executive Council, because Mr. Mar is a fRee cOnSUltatiOn senior official in the public service. Mr. Watson is responsible fUlly accReDiteD for administering

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the Code of Conduct and Ethics for the Public Service which applies to senior officials in the Government of Alberta.” The release continued “Mr. Watson retained an independent investigator, Andrew C.L. Sims, Q.C., a neutral labour relations expert with considerable administrative experience, to determine the facts regarding the fundraising dinner. Mr. Watson also received independent outside legal advice throughout the review process from David Phillip Jones, Q.C., a noted expert in administrative law and the current Conflict of Interest Commissioner for the Yukon Legislative Assembly.” The review officially determined, in part, that: • Mr. Mar was not involved in the direct solicitation of funds from the dinner; • The funds raised from the dinner did not relate to the discharge of Mr. Mar’s duties in public office; • None of the funds raised from the dinner would be paid to Mr. Mar; • No information was conveyed to attendees that was not freely available to the public; and • No special access was provided to or expected by the winner of a trip to Hong Kong auctioned at the dinner. Based on the facts, Mr. Watson found that there was no conflict of interest under the Code of Conduct and Ethics for the Public Service and directed that Mr. Mar return to his duties in Hong Kong. √ Norman Leach, president of Norman Leach & Associates, is an Alberta-based business consultant, university lecturer and writer who works with companies and non-profit organizations to expand both their domestic and international markets.

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BelgravialatestGreen Net Zero Project in neighbourhood transformation By Les Wold & Barb Deters

s much as we would like

to, we can’t necessarily control who our neighbours are… or what they do. Even the finest neighbourhoods can fall victim to unsavoury sorts, involved in criminal activities. Few of us have the opportunity or resources to rid the community of such a blight. Kevin Taft, former Alberta Liberal leader and MLA for Edmonton Riverview, grew up in Belgravia and it’s where he and his wife, Jeanette Boman, made their home. But, they contemplated relocating when a rental property a few doors away became the scene of drug dealing and violence. When the house went up for sale, they bought it… as well as the one next to it when it came on the market. Having made the community safer, they were faced with what to do with the properties. “After we had the land, the principles for development slowly became clear,”

said the couple. “We wanted to preserve our community, live an environmentally responsible life, and have a home with flexible space that’s accessible to all—in other words, our home for life.” They divided the land into three lots, found partners, and teamed up with Effect Home Builders. The innovative development, known as Belgravia Green, consists of three homes built side-by-side—all designed to approach or achieve net-zero energy status, where a house produces as much energy throughout the year as it consumes. “Over the years, we’ve been continually pushing the envelope, building homes that are more and more energy efficient. Belgravia Green brings together a lot of the experience we’ve gathered over the years into one project,” says Les Wold, the company’s spokesperson. He’s partnered with Dave Brettelle and Dale Rott in the company known for its energy efficient houses.

“One of the big things we’ve learned is that there are multiple ways to approach building energy efficient homes. That is what we really like about this project. There are three different homes and they are all reaching toward the same goal, but approaching it with different considerations and different technologies.” According to Les, collaboration was key to pulling together the many disparate elements into a cohesive whole. Homeowners, local experts and Effect’s team met regularly to hammer out the best way to balance energy efficiency goals with the characteristics of the building sites, the needs of the owners, and the budgets they were working with. “Everybody had their laptops and we were bouncing ideas back and forth and really honing in on what was going to be best for the project.” Central to the discussion was the building envelope, which is the foundation of any

NOW... the drug house came down and Belgravia Green changed the streetscape. 34

EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

using “the simple tweak of having a conduit run from the mechanical room up to the roof” to make it easy for homeowners to add the modules. Les estimates the cost is about seven to eight percent more than a standard house to get these homes to net-zero ready, which includes everything but the solar component. “It’s manageable, and we’re constantly working to keep the cost down.” He says there’s is little doubt that interest in the kind of homes being built at Belgravia Green is growing. Kevin and Jeanette, owners of the Belgravia Green’s easternmost house, currently live next to the site and see that interest every day as passersby stop to check out the project. “It‘s The show home is open, airy and efficient very clear to us that there is an appetite for this that’s just on the brink of exploding,” says Kevin. The show home, at 11536-74 Avenue, is listed at $1.2 million and open on Sundays from 2-4pm. The upper floor features a spacious sundeck—perfect for greeting neighbours in this very walkable community.√ that absorbs the sun’s heat, and then slowly radiates it to supply 32 percent of yearly heating. Sunlight also supplies the electricity needed to run its heating system, lights and appliances and to heat its hot water tanks via a 12 kW solar electric system installed this summer. The modules are tied into Edmonton’s electricity distribution system, allowing the house to feed any excess output onto the grid and draw

Les Wold, Mayor Stephen Mandel, Jeanette Boman and Kevin Taft at the ribbon-cutting energy efficient design. All three houses are built to be airtight, with highly efficient heat-recovery ventilation systems used to exchange stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air. Each has 10 centimetres of polystyrene under the basement slab to reduce heat loss, as well as threepaned windows filled with high R-value argon gas and three coats of Low Emissivity. Each house has a different heating system: electric baseboard, geothermal, and air-source heat pump technologies. All are designed to take advantage of sunlight to passively warm the house. Flanked by two privately owned custom homes, the 1500-square-foot middle house is the show home for Effect Home Builders. It has a whole bank of windows on the south-facing wall and a concrete main floor

For more information on Belgravia Green, visit Effect’s website at www.effecthomes.ca.

Les Wold and the photovoltaic modules on the show home’s sundeck

from it when the solar panels aren’t producing enough to meet the home’s demand. The other two homes are set up to install solar systems… flexibility is deliberately built into the design

Belgravia L

COMMUNITY

ocated southwest of the

University of Alberta, Belgravia is one of Edmonton’s mature neighbourhoods. The eastern boundary is 114th Street while, to the west, it overlooks the North Saskatchewan River valley from the south leg of Saskatchewan Drive and, along the southwest portion, Fox Drive. The community is bounded on the north by University Avenue, and on the south by Belgravia Road. Belgravia is home to 2000 plus residents, EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

more than half are between the ages of 20 and 64. The vast majority have at least college/trades certificates or diplomas and most hold bachelor’s degrees or higher. Due to its proximity to the university and major medical facilities, the largest employment sectors are education, professional, scientific, technical, healthcare and social assistance. More than 70 percent of the residences are owner occupied, single family dwellings… with roughly four out of five built between 1946 and 1960. Recent years have seen numerous renovations and remodels, as well

as tear-downs replaced by new homes and condo/townhouse developments along the tree-lined and canopied streets. The Edmonton Radial Railway, which operated the City’s streetcars from 1908 to 1946, began providing service across the High Level Bridge in 1913. Belgravia eventually became the southern terminus of the ERR. Still somewhat of a transportation hub, the neighbourhood is bordered by the McKernan-Belgravia LRT station, which opened in April 2009, at the northwest corner of 114th Street and 76th Avenue. √

TEC VenturePrize

Recognizes Promising New Health Technologies Dr. Breanne Everett accepts the VenturePrize

he 10th Anniversary Gala

for TEC VenturePrize was a big hit at the Shaw Conference Centre. All three winning companies in The Business Plan Competition are set to bring breakthrough technologies to the health market and very soon. TEC VenturePrize awards the winners in the three categories with a combination of cash and in-kind services to help the startup companies get closer to commercialization. Winner in the Fast Growth category was an Edmonton business, Innovative Trauma Care Inc. which has invented a novel device to stop bleeding in emergency situations. Called the IT Clamp, it looks much like a hair clip. According to company board chair Phil Faris, “Needles sticking out of the clamp grasp the skin and pull it together and up into the device so that the surface is able to form a tight seal to shut off bleeding.” Inventor of the IT Clamp is military physician Dr. Dennis Filips. Says Faris, “Dr. Filips and some of his colleagues were trying to deal with this problem of bleeding and of training army medics to go back in the field to treat very traumatic injuries. They realized it was such a difficult problem with today’s technology that something new needed to be done and this popped in as a solution.” The market potential for the IT Clamp is huge. “Our estimates are a recurring market of about $865 million per year for treating injuries.

Then there’s a market for our customers to equip themselves, to use it where they buy it and put it into their ambulances or emergency rooms of about $175 million in the U.S., Europe and Canada.” Innovative Trauma Care is in the final stages of testing the IT Clamp and will use the $90,000 VenturePrize to launch its new device within the year. Runner-up in the Fast Growth category was Calgary’s Pedpad Inc, a digital solution for ordering perfectly fitting shoes online. Pedpad receives $38,000 in cash and in-kind services. The emerging field of nanotechnology made its debut at the VenturePrize Gala this year with the inaugural Nano VenturePrize. Sponsored by Alberta Innovates and several other nano agencies in the province, this prize is worth a very generous $125,000 to the winner and $50,000 to the runner-up. University of Calgary spin-off Parvus Therapeutics Inc. beat out Edmonton lab-on-achip company Aquila Diagnostics Inc with its Domino platform for the top nano prize. Parvus Therapeutics is commercializing a breakthrough technology that could treat and potentially cure many auto-immune diseases, including diabetes, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and a host of others. According to company President and CEO Dr. Phil Coggins, the critical agent is nanoparticles or what he calls navacims, which

are coated immune system proteins that target specific diseases. They were discovered quite by accident by Dr. Pere Santamaria at the University of Calgary. About 15 years ago, Dr. Santamaria discovered the body has counter-pathogen mechanisms, active cells which in principle if they were present in sufficient quantity could turn off disease processes. Fast forward to the present time when Dr. Santamaria was preparing to do an MRI of a mouse pancreas. Says Coggins, “He made an MRI contrast agent using an iron oxide nano particle. In order to kind of get it to go where he wanted it to go, the pancreas, he coated it with proteins which are specific for diabetes. The imaging experiments worked. They were wonderful and he published them. There was just one kind of big problem. The spontaneously diabetic mice that he had administered this material to were no longer diabetic.” Coggins believes now that the researchers know the technology can cure diabetes in mice,

Dr. Ian Anderson, and Phil Faris of Innovative Trauma Care

with sufficient funding over the next year, they will be able to make the modifications to commercialize the treatment for application in curing human auto-immune diseases. The market potential is enormous. “Whether you look at just the medical costs or the lost economic cost due to patients having these disease, for auto-immune diseases as a whole, it’s somewhere in excess of a hundred billion dollars a year in the United States alone, “ says Coggins. EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

With Cheryl Croucher

Parvis Therapeutics will put the $125,000 Nano VenturePrize toward its push to make navacims available to clinicians within a year. The third category at the TEC VenturePrize rewards ingenuity from students and 2012 was no disappointment. Winning the Student TEC VenturePrize was Calgary company, Orpyx Medical Technologies Inc. Orpyx is quite far along compared to student winners in previous years. Indeed, it is already functioning and the product almost ready to hit the market. Orpyx founder, president and CEO is Dr. Breanne Everett. This amazing young woman is a resident in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Calgary… an executive MBA student… and, an entrepreneur. The focus of Dr. Everett’s passion is finding a way to ease the devastating complications of diabetes. In her presentation to the judging panel, she quoted a startling statistic: “Every 30 minutes a limb is lost due to landmines, and every 30 seconds a limb is lost due to diabetes.” Diabetics are prone to developing peripheral neuropathy which leads to the loss of feeling in the feet and unfortunately for far too many people, amputation. Orpyx has developed a wireless sensor technology to combat this loss of feeling. In describing her company’s core technology, Dr. Everett says, “Our product is a pressure sensing insole that takes readings of the bottom of the foot. In a real time basis, it sends information back to the user to tell them when they are doing damage and when they are okay with the activity that they are performing. The add-on to that technology that we’re developing is a pad that’s worn on the back so that it actually feeds back information from the feet one-to-one to the back pad. So you actually feel your feet through your back.” According to Dr. Everett, 40 percent of diabetics develop peripheral neuropathy, so the potential market for her sensor technology is huge. The $20,000 TEC VenturePrize will help Orpyx launch its products in November. Runners-up in the Student TEC VenturePrize category were Enercal Data Systems sponsored by the University of Calgary and CitizenBridge sponsored by the University of Lethbridge. They each receive $7,500 prizes. √ For contact information on the TEC VenturePrize winners and finalists, visit www. tecedmonton.com EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

FARM& FOREST Feed Canada’s Energy Future

ioenergy got the spotlight at

the CanBio conference in Edmonton at the end of April. CanBio is the Canadian Bioenergy Association and it teamed up with Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions to host the conference. Its theme was “Advancing the Bio-Economy: Biomass in a Canadian Energy Strategy.” Canada and Alberta, in particular, produce an enormous amount of biomass from agricultural and forest residue. CanBio president Doug Bradley asserts bioenergy has been growing by leaps and bounds in Canada, even more so in Europe. “Europe has grasped bioenergy as a major component of its energy picture. Because we are so well endowed in oil and gas, it is going to be with us for a long time. But, we also recognize that we are one of the largest biomass sources Doug Bradley on the planet. So we can feed the European demand for bio oil, bio products, pellets, torrified wood, etc. At the same time this will allow us to develop our own industry internally.” Bradley also makes the point that the new energy paradigm is not jut about solar and wind. “We have to make people realize that there’s place for all of these energies and bioenergy can do a lot of things that wind and solar cannot do. For instance, wind and solar produce only power whereas bioenergy produces power and heat. It produces bio products. It produces exportable products. So we have a much more diverse space the other renewables.” In emphasizing that bioenergy has a major role to play in Canada, Bradley also recognizes

Alberta as leader in bio innovation. That’s a point that Dr. Stan Blade is eager to expand upon. As CEO of Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions, He promotes the province’s strategy to expand the bio economy and funds research into finding new uses for plant materials from farm and forest. These activities are important both for diversifying the economy and reducing society’s environmental footprint. Speaking at the conference, Dr. Blade outlined the potential for turning Alberta’s biomass into products, energy and cash. “We’ve made some major investments in genomics in the crop industry especially, thinking about how we can change oil seeds so that there would be different oil compositions. We’ve invested in cereals like triticale, thinking about new sorts of starches and sugars that might be available. It really comes down to the molecules that these processing companies want to use. And we think that changing the nature of especially crops can be very valuable. “We’ve done the same thing when it comes to fibre supplies, thinking about new technologies like nano crystalline cellulose where you can take these materials and they can change the characteristics of products. You can put them into everything from television screens to improving drilling muds for our oil industry. And the research is being done here in Alberta as supported by Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions.” As an example, Dr. Blade says Alberta’s forest industry is already producing bioenergy from mill waste and the power is being used in-house as Dr. Stan Blade well as going into the grid. √ Cheryl Croucher hosts Innovation Anthology which is broadcast on CKUA Radio at 7:58 am and 4:58 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays. Download the podcasts at www.innovationanthologyy.com and follow Cheryl on Twitter @CherylCroucher

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• COACHING IS CARING – As coaches, we do what we do because we care for people. We see the potential in our business partners, co-workers, family and friends, and we want to help them achieve it. A good coach will evaluate your performance against your potential. A coach helps you measure your performance against your strengths instead of against someone else’s. A wise person once said: “Your work is to discover your work, and then with all your heart, to give yourself to it.” All of us need to be coached… but we also need to develop our potential to coach others. Learning to coach will enhance your leadership role in your business, work, family, and sphere of influence. Become a Certified Coach today! √ Abe Brown, B.Th., M.R.Ed./C., C.C.P., is a Certified Master Coach Trainer and North American President for the Certified Coaches Federation. He has been a coach for over 18 years, and also trains others to be Certified Coaches. More information can be found at www.certifiedcoachesfederation.com, or by calling 866.455.2155. EDMONTONIANS SUMMER 2012

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